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News
Crawford Street residents protest police killing
Friday, February 03, 2012
MOUNT SALEM, St James — Scores of irate residents of Crawford Street yesterday afternoon mounted a peaceful demonstration over what they claimed to be the cold-blooded killing of a member of the community by the police.
The deceased has been identified as 32-year-old Orlando Smart.
The police claimed that Smart was killed during a gunfight with members of the Jamaica Constabulary Force and that a firearm was taken from his body.
However, Smart's mother, Jennifer Brown, gave a different account of how the killing occurred.
According to a distraught Brown, the police visited the house which she and Smart lived Wednesday, and took his passport as well as a photograph of them.
She alleged that the cops returned yesterday and took her away from the house, leaving her son behind.
She further claimed that while being taken away, she heard the police officers instruct her son to kneel down and put his hands in the air after which gunshots were heard.
"Them come last night (Wednesday); them take away mi picture with me and him and him passport. And them come back today (yesterday) and run me out of the house and lick me, and put him pon him knee and say 'put your hand up in the air, boy', and shoot him in him head," Brown told journalists yesterday.
Last night, a senior police officer told the Observer that Smart, who was recently released from jail where he served time for a gun-related charge, was wanted in connection with a sexual offence allegedly committed after his release.
"He was recently released from jail and he is wanted for a sexual offence committed since he has been released. And, since he has been back, he has been intimidating a lot of persons," the high-ranking officer told the Observer.
Meanwhile, the Independent Commission of Investigations has commenced a probe into the incident.
 
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2/4/2012
Okay just to get this straight MY cousin isn't a saint but are any of us? okay then! No man shall kill another man as God says. No one has the right to kill my cousin & neither do "chef chef" have the right to say he's going to Hell cause only God can decide & he isn't a rapist so calm that downn boooo. ya know JA police sytem is currput this would'nt have happen in USA. smh R.I.P Orlando nuff love ! & forget them ignorant people dem
2/3/2012
I have seen video clips on the internet and read quite a few articles where the supposedly protectors are brutally slaying people not only in cold blood but in the view of the public. These barbaric and backward acts of cold blooded murder by the jamaican police seem to be supported by high ranking officers.I am yet to read a headline where the commissioner or MP's vehemently denounce these grave acts of injustice to the JA people. until this issue is addressed JA will never be a safe place.
2/3/2012
If he is a rapist no tear for him!! I hope he have a good time in hell!!
2/3/2012
What I don't understand with people from these communities is, I never saw them demonstrating when innocent Jamaicans from said communities, are slaughtered by these very same thugs. Why? I'm sure no saint was killed by the police on Crawford Street .
2/3/2012
Sweet, sweet Jamaica; what a wonderful place to live! Until a person travels to civilized societies & observes the lifestyles of sensible citizens, he/s will always settle for mediocrity. Then again, pretty soon Jamaica's medieval inhabitants may shun the urge to be enlightened in North America & Europe, because 'vision 2030' is now in view. Seriously though, isn't it incidents such as the one being discussed why Mr Bunting feels compelled to implement a buffer between cops & alleged criminals?
2/3/2012
If this is true the situation should be thoroughly investigated. As a Jamaican I know that people are quick to cry brutality against the police instead of the criminals. There are mothers whose contributions to JA are to have and raised children who are thieves and criminals. These bad-getting children have been wreaking havoc on the country for years. The sad thing is the criminals are defended by their mothers who turn a blind eye to their children’s criminal behaviors. Wake up mothers!!
2/3/2012
If the mother account is true and I believe it is and can be easily confirmed by a pathologist, then the murder should be arrested and chaarged
2/3/2012
If this is really so, then its hard to say much. He may have sexually assaulted the said police officer's wife or sister and he came back for him. You never know. The courts needs to be much harsher in sentencing gun related and other horrible crimes to much longer sentences so that by the time they are out, they too old to do any more wrongs..AGAIN if this is so, the mothers and the communities must stop defending and hiding these people when they commit a crime.
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